So Young, So Sad

My love and prayers go out to those grieving in Cleveland today after the shooting of four people at the Success Tech Academy yesterday. My prayers are also with the family and friends of the shooter who reportedly shot himself after shooting those four others. It’s truly a tragedy that at age fourteen the world could crash around you with such force that it would compel you to do something like that. Pray for our youth, and Live for them also. Let them know – by our lives – that adversity comes and adversity goes, we all need an abiding faith to fight this fight of life…. encourage some young person that you come in contact with TODAY.

And today this from Pennsylvania, another 14 year old with an arsenal of weapons –

check out the video HERE. What is happening with the ADULTS around these kids?

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Whatever your view of the current wars in Iraq and Afganistan there is no getting around the reality of the fighting on the ground and the sacrifice of life and limb by so many of our young men and women. Bill Withers wrote a song (around the time the war in Vietnam was ending) it’s meaning is still relevant today. Pause the Sonific player and listen to “I Can’t Write Left Handed”

One day these wars will be over, but the human tragedy will continue – no treaty can replace an arm or leg. Whether we win or lose, for years to come the scars of these wars will be with us. As we go about our lives in relative peace and safety I hope we stop from time to time to think of the price our troops are paying. These distant wars don’t seem to impact us as they should – and their casualties almost go unnoticed, but those astounding “wounded” figures (some 27,oo4 so far according to GlobalSecurity.org) are individuals with family and friends and now – somewhat altered futures.

Pray.

Also praying with a friend of mine, who has a friend who lost her job recently and tried to commit suicide. It’s really a shame how impersonal business has become these days, and how little trust you can put in your employment security. But the lesson to us all is to place our trust in God and not in man. Abiding Faith is the only defence in a shifting and changing society.

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Back in 1981 Bill Withers wrote this song which was released only as a single, I don’t know if it was for a movie or not, but the lyrics are still pretty timely it’s called “U.S.A.” let it play in the new window and come back here and read along with the lyric:

You can’t relax, payin’ tax keeps you busted.
Fallin’ behind goin’ full speed ahead.
You break your back, and some whacko you trusted
Done run the whole USA in the red.

(Chorus) We’re praying for you USA
We love you and hope you get better.
We know you’ll come through USA
Remember we’re in this together.

You can’t afford room and board, what vacation?
And for some reasons I don’t understand,
You’re making stuff that’s ignored in your nation,
The whole USA’s damn near made in Japan.

(Repeat Chorus)

You can’t go far in your car – check the prices.
We took too much doggone guff from Iran.
Countries get rotten to us, we get nicer.
We get the finger, then we give a hand.

(Repeat Chorus)

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Alright, while you reflect on that – turn your Sonific player back on – Java, slippers, and that comfortable spot….

(If you’re new here, let the music in the Sonific player play through – there are ten songs there that I change from week to week, let me know which ones you like.)